Like its predecessor Iron Man, Doctor Strange will be an origin story.

"It's about the journey," Johnson said. "He had to actually go from the pit of despair up a mountain to the feet of the Ancient One in order to really find out what his destiny was. It's that journey that changes the man."

Doctor Strange will likely be released in the first quarter of 2007. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

SPIDER-MAN 3 UPDATE

Now that filming has wrapped on Spider-Man 3, stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are taking a wait-and-see approach to future installments.

"It isn't necessarily the end," Maguire said during the recent Spider-Man 3 panel at Comic-Con International. "I think we're going to leave it open-ended and say we're not quite sure what will happen. If there are stories worth telling, we'll tell them."

"If everyone's game and there's a good story, I'll be back," Dunst said.

According to a report in Entertainment Weekly, director Sam Raimi said Sony is commited to future Spider-Man films, although he didn't say for certain if he would be involved.

Look for more on Spider-Man 3 this week here in The Continuum.

BLADE: THE SERIES UPDATE

The Continuum has obtained the first image of Richard Roundtree as Blade's father in an upcoming episode of Spike TV's Blade: The Series.

Roundtree plays James Brooks in "Sacrifice," the episode scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, August 9. Roundtree recently appeared in the pilot movie for Sci Fi's Painkiller Jane series.

"Sacrifice" also features the return of Steppin' Razor, played by Bokeem Woodbine.

Click on the image above for a larger and fuller image and look for more on Blade: The Series this week here in The Continuum.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, PHOENIX VARIANTS

The Ultimate Spider-Man variant pays homage to the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #100.

Ultimate Spider-Man #100 will be a 64-page issue arriving in stores on Sept. 27. According to Marvel, the issue -- part four of the "Clone Saga" -- will feature "three mind-staggering shock endings."

Mayhew's Phoenix covers features the Three-In-One Stepford Cuckoos. Here's how Marvel describes the issue, which arrives in stores on Sept. 6:

"The Phoenix Force returns, but what part do the Stepford Cuckoos play in it all? Plus, with the Phoenix Force back, who will the primal creature tap as its host this time around? It'll be up to the Astonishing X-Men to quell the Phoenix's hunger."

The regular cover is by Marc Silvestri, which is also shown above.

Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

BOOM! STUDIOS FOR OCTOBER

Boom! Studios has provided The Continuum its solicitations for October.